Shooters committed to 1873 type ammo?  That pie pan rim sure makes it easier to pull out a fired case.  The 1882 extractor just lifts the rim out of the chamber a very short distance.  Just speculatin'! 

Froggie

  Thanks to our two Maynard experts @ ASSRA, DeadEye and Froggie.

  From a shooters point of view, if would seem to me that it would have been advantageous for Maynard to have produced one model of the C.F. action, that is, to have established the dimensional distance from the centerline of the "C" hook hinge pin (actually a screw) rearward to the finished face of the standing breech and maintain that established distance for the entire C.F. series of actions.  Having had done that, them they would vary the barrel length to suit the cartridge case style (thick head vs. thin head).

Had that been the approach, and we know that it wasn't, then a Maynard rifle owner would have avail to all the Maynard cartridges with the additional purchase of the appropriate length barrel to accommodate the two different head designs.

Food for thought, but a little too late.   

C.M.M.

  Thanks for that Froggie;

     That does raise another question for our Maynard Experts in Residence.   

Perhaps Mr. Francis Bannerman acquired an inventory at auction of the previously issued Maynard carbine length guns, and sold them back to Mass Arms Co. for the commercial/sporting trade.

There is an extensive collection of original Maynard documents at the Library of Congress which I plan to have brought out of the stacks in the next several weeks or so.  Some of these materials pertain to his dental education and dental practice in D.C., whereas others are firearm related.

I find Edward to be just as fascinating as his firearms inventions.

Regards,
Webb

Back to your original question of why they would continue to make the 1873 after the 1882 model was introduced. Why did Winchester continue to make the 1873 lever action long after the 1892 was introduced?
Or why did Winchester continue to make & sell the 1897 pump shotgun until 1957 when the Model 12 was a much more modern design and it really didn't last much longer? All those marketing folks are long gone and the answers went with them I guess.

  My contention is, that for all intents and purposes, the Model 1873 Maynard action is the exact same action as the 1882.  Yes, I am aware that the standing breech face on the 1873 is a slightly greater distance back from the centerline of the "C" hook style hinge cross pin in order to accommodate the thicker case rim found on the 1873 style "dish pan" (to borrow Froggies nomenclature) case.

Had Maynard, and their production contractor, Mass. Arms Co., standardized the two actions sequentially, one at a time, and simply varied the barrel lengths to accept the older, and discontinued style, 1873 cases, it all would have made better economic sense.  What I am suggesting is, when  the 1882 actions where introduced for the thinner rim line of cartridges, that would have been the opportune time to cease production of the 1873 actions.  The surplus/salvaged '73 actions, and those in the hands of the public owners, could have been converted to the thinner case rim '82 style with the installation of a simple "add on" spacer plate for a nominal fee.

Thinking linearly,

Creedmoormatch
.

  Thanks for that X-Timberman ;

  I am working on a current project which entails an 1873 Maynard action that is converted by the use of a sleeved barrel that will be chambered in either the 32-40 Ballard or the 32-20-CPA.  The modern SAMMI chamber reamer will be used so that the case (which ever one of the two possibilities is ultimately selected) will be recessed so that upon closing the breech the case head will not be visible from the side view.

Working on figuring out the extractor arrangement.

C.M.M.
.

CMM, the Maynard extractor can only lift the cartridge about .070" maximum and generally about .060". I know of no way to get more movement of the extractor and I've fitted quite a few. Mass Arms called it a retractor instead of extractor. If you recess the cartridge head you will need finger relief to grab the cartridge head with your fingernails. Leaving the head exposed is not a safety problem with todays modern cartridges and will greatly improve your cartridge extraction situation.

The rimfire barrels were fitted tight to the breech face or Hadley device to control gas expansion in the case of a rim rupture. They all had extra space around the rim to facilitate grabbing the fired cartridge. 

I've got your screw made and you did not show up anytime over the weekend. I'll PM you with the price.